It seems I am the Forrest Gump of country music. My brother Pat and I met American country music group Lady Antebellum last week at the Hard Rock Hotel in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. Okay, I admit that I am not a big country music fan. But lately my musical tastes have been broadened a bit. These young musicians are not only amazing artists, they seem to be down-to-earth and really nice people. Over 150 guests were invited to their 'meet-and-greet', so the line was long. As I shook hands with 6' 6" Charles Kelley, I asked, "Are you guys having fun?" Yes, they were indeed.
Lady Antebellum performed at the Hard Rock Hotel, September 28, 2014, in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic.
My brother Pat Marlow, moments before losing his beloved prescription sunglasses in the Atlantic, during a sudden Caribbean thunderstorm. (note darkening sky)
What's really cool about Lady Antebellum, musically? Their harmonies. Of course, they play guitars like the pros that they are. But their singing is first rate, and I understand why this group is so popular. Like so much of country music, their songs speak to the lives of regular people. Songs like Need You Now won a bunch of awards, including Album of the Year, Song of the Year, Video of the Year, and more. They were playing the Hard Rock Hotel for a pre-release party to celebrate their latest album, 747.
Country music has radically changed since the days of Johnny Cash, Conway Twitty and George Strait. Today's 'country' sounds very much like rock, with the occasional steel guitar, mandolin or fiddle thrown in to keep it 'country'. They still sing about pick up trucks, drinkin' beer and cheatin' hearts, but the sounds and rhythms of today's 'pop country' are definitely Rock and Roll, baby. And that's just alright with younger fans.
What on earth were we doing in the Dominican Republic? Once again, my lucky brother Pat won a contest, the Lady A Getaway — an all-expense paid trip for two and a 5-night stay the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Punta Cana, flying to the Caribbean island nation on September 25, 2014. Fortunately, Pat is between girlfriends, so he asked me to join him. Earlier this year, thanks to my brother's good fortune, we flew to Los Angeles to watch the production of NBC's Sunday Night Football opening video, in June. (See How my brother got onto the NBC Sunday Night Football video shoot)
Best Ever Quote above an ATM machine.
The Hard Rock had some of the best accommodations I have ever seen in a resort hotel, featuring nine swimming pools, nine restaurants and room enough for over 1,700 guests, with a mile of silky, sandy beachfront. Plus all the fun and coolness of cars, guitars and outfits owned by some of the legends of rock & roll. Sammy Hagar's hot rod. Tom Petty's trousers. Madonna's sequined limo. Plus quotes from well-known song lyrics emblazoned the walls everywhere. It's an all-inclusive resort, so the buffets, the gourmet meals and adult beverages were all free. Very dangerous.
I highly recommend the place.
Not only did we get a free trip, but get this—we volunteered to be bumped off the flight from Atlanta to Punta Cana. For this chartable act, Delta airlines rewarded us with a free night's stay in Atlanta, plus we each received an $800 voucher to fly anywhere that Delta flies. Can you believe that? It pays to be flexible.
Nobody on the road, nobody on the beach...
So after a day of checking out Atlanta, we spent four days enjoying the amenities of a world-class caribbean resort. Just relaxing on the beach with an ice cold drink was good enough for me. Hey, I even developed a few ideas for new paintings.
And once again, I benefitted from my brother's largesse. I am grateful to Pat for including me in his winning ways. It isn't easy to be the brother of someone so lucky as my brother, but somehow, I will learn to get by.